Laser hair removal is today’s modern approach to hair rejuvenation. This popular procedure removes unwanted body hair. Typically, patients may want this hair removal treatment on their underarms, bikini area, and back. Although not permanent, this procedure’s results last longer than traditional waxing or shaving. Most patients need about six treatments for effects to transpire fully. Laser hair removal is usually safe, but side effects can include burns, scars, or permanent skin discoloration.
Today, let us know more about this treatment, its procedure and how it works, its benefits and tips, and many more. Read until the end and discover if laser hair removal can work for you.
What is Laser Hair Removal?
Laser hair removal procedures remove unwanted hair from your body. It’s non-invasive, so it doesn’t need to cut your skin in any way, shape, or form. Patients may receive this treatment on any part of their body, but the most common areas are:
- Face.
- Back.
- Bikini area (or any body areas that grow pubic hair).
- Legs.
- Underarms.
Benefits of Laser Hair Removal
Lasers help remove unwanted hair from the face, leg, chin, back, arm, underarms, bikini line, and other areas. Laser hair removal includes benefits such as the following:
- Precision. Laser hair removal can selectively target dark, coarse hairs while leaving the surrounding skin undamaged.
- Predictability. Most patients experience permanent hair loss after an average of three to seven sessions.
- Speed. Every laser pulse takes a fraction of a second and can treat many hairs simultaneously. These lasers can treat areas approximately the size of a quarter as each second elapses. Smaller areas of the body, such as the upper lip, can be administered with the treatment in less than a minute. Meanwhile, more extensive areas, such as the back or legs, may take up to an hour.
Why Laser Hair Removal is Done?
The procedure of laser hair removal helps reduce unwanted hair. Common parts of the body treated include the armpits, legs, areas of the upper lip, chin, and the bikini line. Although, it’s also possible to treat unwanted hair in nearly any area except the eyelid or surrounding area. Practitioners should not treat skin with tattoos, either.
Other factors, such as hair color and skin type, can significantly influence the success of laser hair removal. The simple science is that pigments of the hair, but not pigments of the skin, should absorb the light. The lasers used in laser hair removal should damage only hair follicles, avoiding skin damage as much as possible. Therefore, contrasts between hair and skin color — dark and light skin — result in the best outcomes.
The risk of damage to the skin is more significant when the contrast between hair and skin color is very little to none. However, advances in laser technology have made laser hair removal an option for people with darker skin. The laser hair removal procedure becomes less and less effective for people with hair colors that don’t absorb light well. Such hair colors include gray, red, blond, and white. But do not fret – laser treatment options for light-colored hair continue to be developed.
How Laser Hair Removal Works?
Laser hair removal procedures utilize a process called selective photothermolysis. The laser’s heat destroys cells with a lot of pigment or the hair color itself. Due to dark hair having lots of pigment, it absorbs heat the most. Then, hair transfers the heat to the follicles of the hair, eventually destroying them, making hair unable to grow
any further.
Hair follicles must be in their anagen, or growth, stage for the procedure to work. Follicles are in different locations at different times, so most people need multiple laser treatments.
What Happens During Laser Hair Removal?
Laser hair removal involves several steps. Your healthcare provider will:
- Clean the area.
- Provide you with protective glasses or goggles to wear during the procedure. Your healthcare provider also wears protective eyewear.
- Treat your skin with a laser that might feel like a series of tolerable stings. Some patients explain this sensation as a rubber band snapping against their skin.
Your laser hair removal procedure may typically take around a few minutes or up to an hour. It is all based on the size of the area that is being treated. You might smell smoke and burning hair. This process is normal and is the hair burning away from the laser’s heat.
What Happens After?
Laser hair removal might make your skin red, swollen, and painful. As a measure, you can use a cold compress on the treated area. Also, avoid exposing the treated area to natural or artificial sunlight. Once fully recovered, you should be able to return to normal activities immediately.
Potential Risks
Side effects vary based on skin type, hair color, and treatment plan. In addition, adherence to pre-treatment and post-treatment care may also become a factor. Most commonly, the side effects of laser hair removal include the following:
- Pigment changes. Laser hair removal could darken or lighten the skin affected by the treatment. These changes to the skin’s pigmentation might be temporary or permanent. Primarily, skin lightening affects people who don’t avoid exposure to the sun before or after treatment. Furthermore, those who have darker skin may experience much more compared to others.
- Skin irritation. Possible side effects may include temporary discomfort, redness, and swelling after your laser hair removal procedure. However, any signs and symptoms usually disappear within several hours.
Also, laser hair removal isn’t suggested for areas surrounding the eyes, including the eyelids and eyebrows, since they can possibly result in severe eye injuries.
Results
The hairs on your treated area do not fall out immediately, but you will shed them over days to weeks. This phenomenon may look like continued hair growth. Typically, repeated treatments are necessary because hair growth and loss naturally happen in a cycle. Hence, laser hair removal treatments work best-involving hair follicles in their new-growth stage.
But remember, results will vary significantly and are difficult to predict. Most patients may experience hair removal that will last for several months and might even last for years. But laser hair removal doesn’t guarantee permanent hair removal. When hair regrows, it’s usually finer and lighter in color.
You might need maintenance laser treatments for long-term hair reduction.
The Bottomline
Laser hair removal procedures are a safe and effective way to remove unwanted body hair. The heat from a laser removes hair and destroys hair follicles. It’s not permanent, but the results last longer than plucking, tweezing, or waxing. Most people need multiple treatments. Only an experienced healthcare provider should perform this procedure. Talk to your trusted skin expert to enjoy the benefits of laser hair removal.
Is laser hair removal the procedure for you? Our awesome friends at Thrive Aesthetics and Wellness Spa can help you today.
